And now, I have a modded shirt.
Posted on January 15th, 2006
Filed under: General — Karl Olson @ 7:34 pm
Thanks to my mom’s lovely sewing machine skills, I now have a Tohru Honda from Fruits Basket shirt modified for me. One of a kind. Take that Funimation! (Just kidding, I could never stay mad at them, after all, they did quote me on back of Spiral vol.5.)
Meanwhile, I continued my own home-ec skills by ironing on a new patch (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Laughing Man patch) on to my jean jacket/shirt, then reinforcing that patch with amazing hand stitching skills.
Otherwise, a fairly uneventful day. This week will probably busy and interesting though. Hopefully.
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Domestic Endeavors.
Posted on January 15th, 2006
Filed under: General — Karl Olson @ 12:53 am
Previously, I mentioned getting a Tohru Honda (Fruits Basket) shirt from Hot Topic. Well, I’m now roughly half-way through modifying it into a male-style shirt, thanks to a two buck shirt from walgreens offering up a pair of sleeves, and a few hours of removing stitches.
Tomarrow, grafting. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll learn enough about this kind of stuff to make cosplay. Granted, I don’t intend on giving up my press status any time soon, which means I’ve got to dress atleast semi-professionally at cons, which means no cosplay for con anyway. Ah well, atleast I can clothes-mod now.
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Mic Check Mic Check / Mass-Market Counterculture.
Posted on January 14th, 2006
Filed under: General — Karl Olson @ 4:32 am
This post will be a test of my blog, which is now operating on Version 2.0 of WordPress. Already, I’ve got some issues (no mySpace crossposting, again. LJ is up only because a different plugin, and that plugin needed some pruning of annoying blog-plugging code.)
Anyway, class was cancelled in the second day in the row (teacher has a rip-roaring cold,) so after my usual general gabbing at BCC, I made my way down to Anime Kingdom, where I got some new stuff and chatted with people. I went by Starbucks while I was there too, I got a Chai Tea Latte w/ some friends and family (thank you mom for footing the bill for everyone :D,) came back, hung out some more, and then made my way down to Hot Topic in Southcenter to meet back up with Zoe, Lucy and Mike (some of the other Anime Kingdom regulars for those of you just tuning in.)
Now, this is where the fun comes in. Normally, I don’t shop at Hot Topic. Maybe when they get an anime shirt in, or some cool Drum n’ Bass EP falls into their record bin for some odd reason, I’ll buy, but usually they are just to expensive for my blood. I can’t justify more than 40 bucks for pants, especially pants that a nerd like me can’t pull off. I mean, I’m a practical guy, so as much as I’m enamored with design and thus at points fashion, particularly counter-culture fashion (albeit mass-marketed, pre-packaged, nationally sold counter-culture fashion,) because I like the DiY (well, psuedo-DiY) attitude of those designs, I just look at things in terms of function over form most of the time. However, today, they had stuff that was already on clearance with an extra 50 percent off on top of it.
Oh snap! Bargains? My kryptonite.
So, for a mere 18 bucks including tax) I now have a Tohru from Fruits Basket t-shirt (originally meant for a woman, but with some modifications, I can make it a man shirt. Besides, it was 5 bucks. That’s worth the risk of wrecking the shirt, and/or wearing a girly shirt,) a mooninites wrist band (1 buck!??! the moon definitely rulz #1 at that price) and a cooler-than-me jacket that at about 10 bucks I couldn’t pass up on. If I put on one of my geek shirts under the jacket while wearing one my pairs of cheap and now well worn-in jeans and I’ll probably be “ironically hip in some flip universe.” Or something like that… 🙂
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Private: “Eat At Taqueria / [Write For NewsPapers In] Korea” – Beck, Hollywood Freaks
Posted on January 5th, 2006
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 9:09 pm
So I wrote a game review for the JoongAng Daily. Yay for having friends that have connections, jobs at newspapers and very tight schedules that result in me getting in the paper. Well, it’s probably only for the online, but still, woooooooo.
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*blatant ad for my annoying music*
BTW, the nerdcore CD is up for sale again . Supplies are limited, paypal only (and I mean paypal – no credit or debit via paypal. If you want to email me about entrusting a check to the postal system, I’m up for that too) and US only (unless you want to email me so I can find out how much it’ll cost to ship a CD to your locale.)
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On a related note (in as much as it’s nerdy rap,) here’s a link to something you’ve probably already seen. However, I still find it funny. “You can call us Aaron Burr / From the way we’re dropping Hamiltons.”
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Happy New Year.
Posted on January 1st, 2006
Filed under: General — Karl Olson @ 3:53 am
Going with a couple friends to an arcade to play DDR, In The Groove and Para Para on New Years Eve: Good. Even did decently in laser tag, I didn’t totally butcher songs at karaoke and I managed to get a B on the hard mode of the PA Theme by MC Frontalot.
Exchanging gifts with them that didn’t get exchanged before x-mas: Better, though they got me way nicer than I got them. I feel bad about unintensionally short shrifting them.
Picking up a couple extra friends in the parking lot of the arcade unexpectedly: Still better. The more the marrier.
Having people recognize my new FLCL tshirt and taking to them about anime: Equivalently awesome. Always happy to chat about that kind of stuff.
Ending the evening enjoying the gifts recieved, winding down from a physically strenous but fun New Years: Priceless.
Cleaning my room later today and getting the CD back up on the site: Not so priceless, but I think I’ve learned that I’ve got a lot to be thankful for, so the day-to-day stuff shouldn’t be particularly loathed, and so if nothing else, I’m resolving to be thankful for those things. Well, more like those people. I’m happily surprised at how many friends I have, and I’m happy to have them.
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I’m Home With Music.
Posted on December 31st, 2005
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 9:12 pm
Had an interesting vacation visiting my various relatives, and I even got a few presents out of the deal, including my own cellphone, some night clothes and some money which bought me some CDs and manga. Not a bad deal on the whole.
Meanwhile, what should be waiting for me at the door but my CD, 100 (now 99 since I gave a copy to my mom for x-mas,) copies of it. Soon to be sale for a measly 8 bucks which includes S&H anywhere in the US. (Intl. Orders contact me for pricing/availability. Ditto for bulk orders.)
Some of you may note that 8 bucks is a 50 cent bump over the original cost. I assure I’m not trying to be a moneygrubbing jerk about it (though I do dare to dream that maybe one day I could eat off my musical talent.) It’s just that it’s costing me more to get each disc made. Actually, more than twice as much per disc, so the 50 cents doesn’t actually fully cover the bump in cost per disc, just off sets it so I don’t have to sell the majority of my run just to break even. Should you know me in real life, I’ll still sell it to you at the old 5 buck price, but only because you’re probably a friend, acquaintance or hanger on, and as such, have probably fed me/lent me money/didn’t kill me when I made some stupid off-color remark/broke your foot, and that kind of favor deserves some kind of repayment.
Anyway, I’ve got to get down to Issaquah to celebrate New Years in the most nerdcore fashion I can: going to an arcade to play DDR and ParaPara with a bunch of nerdy cool friends. Maybe when I get back, I’ll actually have the paypal link for the CDs. Maybe… 😀
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Rocking the mic/End of an Era
Posted on December 23rd, 2005
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 3:14 am
Good News: I wasn’t too terrible for my first live show out side numerous screw ups. I’m really going to have learn how deal with hot lights, sweat dripping into my eyes causing sudden and massive pain, and I’ve got vocally train more – everyday, each day. But, I want to gig more. Even though I wasn’t perfect, it was fun. I’m more sure than ever that this will likely never be much more than a hobby, but atleast its a fun hobby that gets me out of the house and meeting new people.
Bad News: Ampcast the site that had long hosted my music, is going to be shutting down by Feburary. This means it’s your last chance to download any music I’ve put up there, and to buy any CDs I’ve created there. After that point, it’s gone, and unless I can find a decent tracker than I can setup remotely so I can host torrents of my music on my server, that stuff will likely never show up again until a huge boxset retrospective on my career, but given that this is likely to stay a hobby, that boxset “ain’t gonna happen time soon,” as my old anthropology prof might say. So, get it while it’s hot.
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Name Taken.
Posted on December 20th, 2005
Filed under: General — Karl Olson @ 12:01 am
Took my little bro down to a Nintendo WiFi Event/Mario Kart DS Tournement, ran into a friend of mine with a camera and met Reggie from Nintendo who was a really cool guy. Nintendo found a gem in that guy, cause he’s a real gamer himself, and he gets along well with gamers, freely handing out his friend code for Mario Kart. Thus, I end on a picture of me with “the Reggielution” and my little bro.
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Me doing a planned in advance live show? For the first time ever?
Posted on December 18th, 2005
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 4:05 am
Yes, and it’s a cancer benefit (the ACS the IBCRF to be specific) at the Preston Community Center at 8625 310th Ave SE, Preston, WA. I’m not sure quite yet exactly when I’ll be playing (heck, I’m still kind of dazed from finding out that I’ll be playing,) but the actual time for the whole event is 5:30pm-10pm on December 22nd (IE: this Thursday.)
How this came to be: What I thought was going to be a little set at an acquaintance’s private X-mas party at their house now may turn out as many as 125 people (assuming capacity can be reached,) and not just myself will be performing, but various local acts who likely are much better known than myself. As such, if any of my friends from AK could turn out (I know my BCC posse will show as that was the original deal with x-mas party,) I think it might make things a little easier for me. Or vastly more stressful. I have no idea. Boy, I hope I can rehearse myself into some level of confidence and competence for this.
PS: Food is apparently going to be covered by the cost of that 5 bucks, so even if you only turn out to see me, and you’re unhappy with me, atleast you will be fed. Besides, I’m sure the other bands and artists will rock, so it’s way totally worth it.
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Progress Report
Posted on December 15th, 2005
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 7:12 pm
So, since in next few weeks reprints of my old CD will be available (and since someone brought it up in my myspace,) I thought now might be a good time to go over the progress on the next CD. It’s basically done, save for 2 tracks and cover art. The two tracks are, of course, the collaborations, and really it’s my fault for not persuing them harder. However, I recorded my segment of what will hopefully be the Tycho collab (I think I’ll have another shot at emailing him, but realistically, I should just drive down to Seattle next week and see if I can just talk to him about it at his offices.) Meanwhile, I need to email Nurse Hella about our collab. I really sorta dropped the ball while I was working on school stuff, but school is important, ya know?